With cockpit equipment, the arrangement of the assembly constitutes display and control devices and crew member seats designed to pilot the plane by means of display and control devices is crucial for limiting muscular fatigue for crew members.
In cockpits of current aircraft, it is known to have the control and display devices on the central and side consoles and on the instrument panel. In this configuration, each seat is placed between the central console and the side console corresponding to the instrument panel placed in front of the seat. According to this arrangement, some controls are available on the side and central consoles and therefore easily accessible for the crew members sitting in the seats irrespective of the flight phase of the aircraft. Some more of the controls and display systems are those distributed over the instrument panel with clear visibility for persons sitting in the seats as relates to display systems.
However, if with such a configuration display and control devices are accessible to crew members irrespective of the flight phase of the aircraft, the position of controls on the side and central consoles and on the instrument panel is not ergonomically ideal and during long-range flights or tasks comprising multiple actions can therefore engender substantial muscular fatigue. In fact, studies on cockpit ergonomics have shown that the ideal position for aircraft controls and the display of information is the frontal zone of the crew member when he is sitting in the seat. When the aircraft is in takeoff and landing phase this frontal zone of the crew member must remain free for safety reasons and is therefore not equipped in current aircraft configurations.